Let's start this blog off with a fun and intriguing list. We're one month removed from a very exciting and well played Super Bowl 45 where the Green Bay Packers returned to glory by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers. So I'm wondering where does this past Super Bowl rank amongst the greatest? From worst to first, here is a list of the Greatest Super Bowls of all time based on excitement and competitiveness.
45. Super Bowl XXIV- San Francisco 49ers over Denver Broncos 55-10
Super Dome New Orleans, LA MVP: Joe Montana, QB
Yes, a sensational effort by Joe Montana and the 49ers. But why is this the worst Super Bowl of all time? Because this was Joe Montana v.s. John Elway, are you kidding me and the score is 55-10? Although this game established Joe Montana as the greatest quarterback of all time and the 49ers as one of if not the greatest dynasty in NFL history, this game should have been much more given the fact that two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history were set to do battle.
44. Super Bowl XX- Chicago Bears over New England Patriots 46-10
Super Dome New Orleans, LA MVP: Richard Dent, DE
Very similar to Super Bowl XXIV because this game was the icing on the cake for the '85 Bears at the brutal expense of the cinderella New England Patriots. This was one of those games you could leave at halftime.
43. Super Bowl VII- Miami Dolphins over Minnesota Vikings 24-7
Rice Stadium Houston, TX MVP: Larry Csonka
God, does anyone even remember this game? Well if you do, you would remember that Miami was so dominant up front that Bob Griese only had to throw the ball eight fucking times!
42. Super Bowl XXVII- Dallas Cowboys over Buffalo Bills 52-17
Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA MVP: Troy Aikman
I hate to put this as one of the worst, but the Bills were simply no match for the Cowboys. But the Bills had heart. We saw that when Don Beebe tracked down Leon Lett in a 52-17 game to prevent a touchdown. It's one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history, even in one of the all time most lopsided games.
41. Super Bowl XII- Dallas Cowboys over Denver Broncos 27-10
Super Dome New Orleans, LA MVP: Randy White and Harvey Martin
Another boring Super Bowl. You had lousy play all around from the Broncos and the Cowboys were simply the beneficiaries.
40. Super Bowl XL- Pittsburgh Steelers over Seattle Seahawks 21-10
Ford Field Detroit, MI MVP: Hines Ward
Super Bowl XL is remembered for poor refereeing and poor quarterbacking and, well poor everything. Except for the half time show, I thought the Rolling Stones were fantastic. But this was a very lack luster Super Bowl.
39. Super Bowl VI- Dallas Cowboys over Miami Dolphins 24-3
Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA MVP: Roger Staubach
Not much to describe about this game, which is why it's the 39th best Super Bowl. Roger Staubach played well in this game, I think that's all that happened.
38. Supe Bowl XXXV- Baltimore Ravens over New York Giants 34-7
Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL MVP: Ray Lewis
The Ravens humiliated Kerry Collins and the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, and without the back to back kick returns, this game might have ranked as the worst Super Bowl of all time.
37. Super Bowl II- Green Bay Packers over Oakland Raiders 33-14
Orange Bowl Miami, FL MVP: Bart Starr
In Vince Lombardi's last game as head coach of the Packers, it was only fitting that his Packers team handled the Raiders with ease.
36. Super Bowl XXIX- San Francisco 49ers over San Diego Chargers 49-26
Joe Robbie Stadium Miami, FL MVP: Steve Young
Yes, it was an unbelievable performance by Steve Young, not by the San Diego Chargers though. They proved no match for the 49ers.
35. Super Bowl VII- Miami Dolphins over Washington Redskins 14-7
Los Angeles Coliseum Los Angeles, CA MVP: Jake Scott
Super Bowl VII was a very sloppy and defense dominated game. The Redskins were dismal all day, their lone score coming off the notorious blunder by Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian. This game was historic because the Dolphins capped off their undefeated season, but this game was not historic because it was a well played Super Bowl.
34. Super Bowl XXXIII- Denver Broncos over Atlanta Falcons 34-19
Joe Robbie Stadium Miami, FL MVP: John Elway
The Falcons were happy to be in Miami, but they wanted no part of winning the Super Bowl. John Elway lit up the Falcons D in his final start under center for the Broncos.
33. Super Bowl XXII- Washington Redskins over Denver Broncos 42-10
Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA MVP: Doug Williams
Another Super Bow, and the defense is no where to be fucking found! After going up 10-0, the Redskins turned on the switch and scored 35 straight points in the second quarter to lock up the Super Bowl before halftime.
32. Super Bowl XVIII- Los Angeles Raiders over Washington Redskins 38-9
Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL MVP: Marcus Allen
31. Super Bowl IV- Kansas City Chiefs over Minnesota Vikings 23-7
Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA MVP: Len Dawson
30. Super Bowl IX- Pittsburgh Steelers over Minnesota Vikings 16-6
Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA MVP: Franco Harris
29. Super Bowl XXVI- Washington Redskins over Buffalo Bills 37-24
Metrodome Minneapolis, MN MVP: Mark Rypien
28. Super Bowl XXXVII- Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Oakland Raiders 48-21
Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA MVP: Dexter Jackson
This game actually wasn't that bad to watch. I mean if you were a Raiders fan it was awful, but there were some exciting pick sixes. So not a completely shit game, but nonetheless a shit game.
27. Super Bowl XI- Oakland Raiders over Minnesota Vikings 32-14
Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA MVP: Fred Billitnikoff
26. Super Bowl XV- Oakland Raiders over Philadelphia Eagles 27-10
Super Dome New Orleans, LA MVP: Jim Plunkett
25. Super Bowl V- Baltimore Colts over Dallas Cowboys 16-13
Orange Bowl Miami, FL MVP: Chuck Howley
24. Super Bowl XXVIII- Dallas Cowboys over Buffalo Bills 30-13
Georgia Dome Atlanta, GE MVP: Emmitt Smith
23. Super Bowl XIX- San Francisco 49ers over Miami Dolphins 38-16
Stanford Stadium Palo Alto, CA MVP: Joe Montana
22. Super Bowl XLI- Indianapolis Colts over Chicago Bears 29-17
Dolphin Stadium Miami, FL MVP: Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning's long awaited Super Bowl victory came in a rainy, sloppy game against the Chicago Bears. This Bear's team was certainly not the '85 bears (Rex Grossman was the quarterback for christ's sake) and this was not even the best Colt's team of the 2000's. But this game was underrated. The opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown by Devin Hester and the game was tight until Kelvin Hayden took back a Rex Grossman pass for a touchdown to put the game away.
21. Super Bowl XXXIX- New England Patriots over Philadelphia Eagles 24-21
Alltel Stadium Jacksonville, FL MVP: Deion Branch
This was a well played football game. Two of the best teams of the 2000's squared off and the game was very competitive. The game wasn't quite as tight as the final score indicates, but Tom Brady and the Patriots were challenged by Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens and the Eagles.
20. Super Bowl I- Green Bay Packers over Kansas City Chiefs 35-10
LA Coliseum Los Angeles, CA MVP: Bart Starr
Well it was the first Super Bowl, so why not put it at number 20? Other than being the first Super Bowl, it wasn't really special. It wasn't even sold out!
19. Super Bowl XVI- San Francisco 49ers over Cincinnati Bengals 26-21
Pontiac Silver Dome Detroit, MI MVP: Joe Montana
18. Super Bowl XXI- New York Giants over Denver Broncos 39-20
Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA MVP: Phil Simms
17. Super Bowl XVII- Washington Redskins over Miami Dolphins 27-17
Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA MVP: John Riggins
16. Super Bowl XXX- Dallas Cowboys over Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17
Sun Devil Stadium Glendale, AZ MVP: Larry Brown
15. Super Bowl XXXI- Green Bay Packers over New England Patriots 35-21
Super Dome New Orleans, LA MVP: Desmond Howard
14. Super Bowl III- New York Jets over Baltimore Colts 16-7
Orange Bowl Miami, FL MVP: Joe Namath
Undoubtably the most overrated Super Bowl of all time, but that doesn't mean it wasn't historic. First of all, the game was crap. The Colts couldn't score, but neither could the Jets really. Joe Namath really didn't do a whole lot, it was more the running game that won the game for the Jets. If anything this game was disappointing because even though the Jets pulled the upset, the Colts beat themselves for such a great team. I understand that this game was historic because it meant the AFL had finally matched the NFL, but that doesn't mean it was a great Super Bowl.
13. Super Bowl XIV- Pittsburgh Steelers over Dallas Cowboys 21-17
Orange Bowl Miami, FL MVP: Lynn Swan
This matchup was the first of what would become an American classic. The blue collar Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the glamourous Dallas Cowboys. A ton of hall of famers played in this game and the hall of fame match-ups were all over the place. This was the dream matchup for an NFL fan in the 1970's and the two teams played a great game that wasn't settled until the very end.
12. Super Bowl XLIV- New Orleans Saints over Indianapolis Colts 31-17
Sun Life Stadium Miami, FL MVP: Drew Brees
The Saints capped off their storybook season with a win over Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLIV. Everything went right for New Orleans after falling behind early. After a slow first half, Saints coach Sean Payton called for one of the ballsiest coaching moves in NFL history calling for the onside kick. The Saints recovered, which sent the tone for their comeback. Ahead 24-17, Peyton Manning seemed to be leading the Colts down the field to tie the score. But Tracy Porter cut off Manning's pass and took it the rest of the way which sealed the Saints long awaited Super Bowl. It was a feel good game for New Orleans, and unless you were from Indianapolis you had to be pulling for New Orleans. Super Bowl XLIV ranks as the 12th greatest Super Bowl.
11. Super Bowl XLV- Green Bay Packers over Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25
Cowboys Stadium Dallas, TX MVP: Aaron Rodgers
This past year's Super Bowl was a very good game with plenty of excitement and drama. In a matchup of two even teams, the Green Bay Packers led by Aaron Rodgers held on to defeat the Steelers. Aaron Rodgers was on target all night as the Packers jumped out to an early 21-3 lead. But from there, the Steelers regrouped, cutting the lead to 21-17 and later 28-25. The Packers defense would later force the Steelers to turn the ball over on downs to preserve a 31-25 victory. Although this game didn't have as much excitement as some of the Super Bowls in the top 10, it was a one score game for the whole fourth quarter, which places it at number 11.
10. Super Bowl X- Pittsburgh Steelers over Los Angeles Rams 31-19
Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA MVP: Terry Bradshaw
This was a very underrated Super Bowl. The LA Rams were 9-7 in the regular season who somehow found themselves in the Super Bowl. But once they were there, they outplayed the Steelers for most of the game, and an upset seemed in the cards as the Steelers were looking to cap off one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. The Steelers pulled together late, and won the game 31-19, a score which doesn't indicate how tight this game really was.
9. Super Bowl XIII- Pittsburgh Steelers over Dallas Cowboys 35-31
Orange Bowl Miami, FL MVP: Terry Bradshaw
Electrifying offense throughout the game, which wasn't really the Steelers mantra, but what the hell, it was a great game. The spread was never more than one possession and the Cowboys and Steelers offense's were dueling back and fourth.
8. Super Bowl XXV- New York Giants over Buffalo Bills 20-19
Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL MVP: Otis Anderson
This was a spectacular game that came down to the wire. Unfortunately for Buffalo, they came up short. But this game had defense, long drives, hard hitting and one play that decided the outcome; what more could you ask for in a Super Bowl? Oh yeah, there was that wide right play too.
7. Super Bowl XXXII- Denver Broncos over Green Bay Packers 31-24
Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA MVP: Terrell Davis
This Super Bowl featured one of the best quarterback match-ups in Super Bowl history with John Elway and Brett Favre, but this game was also one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. The mighty Packers were heavily favored but that would not stop the Broncos in what could've been John Elway's last chance at the Lombardi trophy. The game was back and fourth for the whole game, but what sticks out about this game for me was the desire that the Broncos had. Terrell Davis rushed for 150 yards with a migraine headache and an old John Elway went airborne for a first down while being decked by two Packers defenders. That's what the Super Bowl is all about.
6. Super Bowl XXIII- San Francisco 49ers over Cincinnati Bengals 20-16
Joe Robbie Stadium Miami, FL MVP: Jerry Rice
Super Bowl XXIII was a good game, but it got great in the fourth quarter. Obviously the highlight was Joe Montana leading the 49ers down the field and winning the game on a touchdown pass to John Taylor. The score was never separated by more than a possession and the Bengals had the lead for most of the game, but the 49ers grabbed the lead with less than a minute to go in one of the most dramatic 4th quarters in football history.
5. Super Bowl XXXVI- New England Patriots over St. Louis Rams 20-17
Super Dome New Orleans, LA MVP: Tom Brady
The heavily favored Rams were expected to easily defeat the underdog Patriots who many thought were lucky to be there. But New England coach Bill Belichick schemed one of his best game plans to slow down the Greatest Show on Turf. The New England defense was always bumping Marshall Faulk around and they were applying constant pressure on Kurt Warner. The Patriots jumped out to a 17-3 lead until St. Louis got going and tied the score at 17 with under two minutes left to play. John Madden was one of many who said the Patriots should sit on the ball and play for overtime. But a young Tom Brady had other ideas as he guided the Patriots into field goal position for Adam Vinatieri who nailed a 49 yarder as time expired. The Patriots edged the Rams in one of the greatest chess matches and upsets in Super Bowl history as it cracks the 5 spot in the all time list.
4. Super Bowl XXXVIII- New England Patriots over Carolina Panthers 32-29
Reliant Stadium Houston, TX MVP: Tom Brady
Super Bowl XXXVIII featured some hard nosed defense, explosive offense, a game winning drive and another Super Bowl winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri that ended a back and fourth game. Tom Brady was on target for the whole game, completing a then record 32 passes. But Jake Delhomme and the Panthers never gave up. Carolina responded in big ways including an 80 yard pass from Delhomme to Mushin Muhammad. But the football gods were on the Patriots side. With the ball at the 40 yard line and a little over a minute left to play, Brady calmly moved the Patriots down the field in position for Adam Vinatieri to seal another Super Bowl win for the Patriots. Because this was the first Super Bowl I ever went to and I happened to see the Patriots win, this is my personal favorite Super Bowl. But my personal favorites aside, this game ranks as the fourth greatest Super Bowl of all time.
3. Super Bowl XLIII- Pittsburgh Steelers over Arizona Cardinals 27-23
Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL MVP: Santonio Holmes
In the midst of an economic recession, Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the 9-7 Arizona Cardinals did not seem likely to spark added interest in this years game. On paper, this game matched two teams, the Steelers, the model for a successful franchise in the NFL who decade after decade would remain competitive. The other, the Cardinals, were the model of mediocrity who consistently missed the playoffs. But this would have no impact on the game. Super Bowl XLIII had arguably the some of the most exciting moments in Super Bowl history which featured an 100 yard interception return by James Harrison at the end of the first half, an explosive passing attack led by Kurt Warner strikes like lightning to put the Cardinals up 23-20 with a few minutes to play and then for a finale, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Santonio Holmes who snared the ball out of thin air as he tiptoed his feet along the sidelines to haul in the game winning touchdown pass. This game featured some of the biggest and most exciting shifts in momentum the Super Bowl has ever seen, which places this game at number three.
2. Supe Bowl XXXIV- St. Louis Rams over Tennessee Titans 23-16
Georgia Dome Atlanta, GE MVP: Kurt Warner
A valiant effort by Steve McNair and the Tennessee Titans came up one yard short. Literally. With no time left. In the Super Bowl! What made this game great was that it didn't have a big market team that normally is the only reason a championship has intrigue. Not in the NFL. Two smaller market teams can provide as good of a game with as much intrigue as a game with two big market teams. The Rams were that seasons cinderella story led by an unknown named Kurt Warner who would take home Super Bowl MVP. Kurt Warner lit up the Georgia Dome throwing for a Super Bowl record 414 passing yards. The Rams had most of the momentum throughout the game, but Steve McNair would lead the Titans back into the game by the fourth quarter. After the Titans tied the game at 16, the Rams answered right back with Kurt Warner connecting with Issac Bruce for 73 yards. Down 23-16, Steve McNair would run for his life from the Rams defense, but they could not stop him from leading the Titans to the ten yard line on the last play of regulation. McNair hit Kevin Dyson on a slant, but in one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history, Mike Jones wrapped up his legs and brought down Dyson while he extended out to the goal line. Dick Vermeil and the cinderella Rams defeated the Titans in one of the most exciting games and electrifying 4th quarters in Super Bowl history, which is why it places second on the all time list of greatest Super Bowls.
1. Super Bowl XLII- New York Giants over New England Patriots 17-14
University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ MVP: Eli Manning
Super Bowl XLII was the greatest Super Bowl of all time because it had all the necessary ingredients. One team, the New England Patriots, trying to make history and become the first team to complete a
19-0 season in NFL history. They set records and they were only one win away from establishing themselves as possibly the greatest team in sports history. The other team, the New York Giants, were a 10-6 team who were not even thought of as a Super Bowl team. The Giants pulled off the greatest upset in Super Bowl history while pulling off the greatest play in Super Bowl history (David Tyree's helmet clinging grab). So let's recap. You have a 10-6 New York Giants team taking on a historic New England Patriots squad going for an undefeated season. The Giants dominated the Patriots up front, clinging to a 10-7 lead until Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss to give the Patriots a 14-10 lead with under three minutes to play. Then, just when it seemed the Patriots had sacked Eli Manning, he escapes and finds David Tyree 50 yards downfield while the ball clings to his helmet and Rodney Harrison rips at his right shoulder. That play led to Eli Manning finding Plaxico Burress for the game winning touchdown with under a minute to go. Though I am a die hard Patriots fan who attended the game, I was glad I was at this game. I was crushed by the loss, but I saw the greatest upset, the greatest play and the greatest Super Bowl of all time.
